Larox delivers the largest Gas Tight horizontal vacuum belt filter ever built

LAPPEENRANTA, FINLAND - May 3, 2007 - Larox recently delivered the largest,
totally gas tight horizontal belt filter ever built. The Pannevis GT filter,
with a filtration area of 3 m wide x 16.8 m long (50.4 m2 total filtration
area) was recently delivered for a solvent based edible oil application.
Operating under a nitrogen atmosphere, the Pannevis GT filter offers total
containment of solvent based processes in an inert environment for safe and
hygienic processing of a wide range of products including fine chemicals,
bio-products, solvent-processed foodstuffs, solvent wetted organic solids,
pyrophoric materials and pharmaceuticals. Larox is the world leader in
solvent-based vacuum belt filtration with the Pannevis GT filter. 

The filter as delivered was designed to work at temperatures below ambient and
was equipped with 3x counter-current washing with the washes applied by banks
of spray nozzles for maximum cake coverage during each wash stage. Washing of
the filter cloth sides prior to discharge also ensured all possible solid phase
product is recovered. Both the solid and liquid phases are further processed as
valuable product in this application. 

The Pannevis GT filter offers all the advantages of the standard Pannevis RT
filter including capability to carry out co- or counter-current washing, reflux
washing, vibration, all forms of mechanical compression and either hot gas or
micro-wave drying. They can be configured in any combination of the above
options for multi-step processing exactly as the standard RT filters. 

The filter housing is normally operated with a slight internal over-pressure
using nitrogen, which is continuously re-circulated around the filter circuit
so that all components including filtrate receivers and pumps are totally
inert. A very small make-up of nitrogen is required to compensate for nitrogen
exiting with the filter cake. 

Large windows in the sidewalls and lights in the roof ensure complete
visibility. The windows also provide local access within the housing. The floor
and roof of the housing are rounded while the sidewalls are flat so ensuring
that all internal surfaces are easily cleaned and self draining. Clean-in-place
(CIP) is a standard option and the filter is designed for sanitary processes as
all dead spots are eliminated, windows and nozzles are angled to drain back
into the housing and internal surfaces can easily be polished to a specified
level. 

As with all Pannevis RT based filters, the Pannevis GT filter is extremely
reliable and maintenance is simple. All the major maintenance items including
the cloth drive, bearings, pneumatic cylinders and sensors are mounted outside
the housing, eliminating both the risk of product contamination and the need to
access the inside of the filter housing for normal scheduled maintenance. Thus
the inert integrity of the filter is maintained at all times. 

Continuous filter cloth cleaning eliminates cross contamination and guarantees
100% product recovery, as cloth wash liquid can be recycled over the filter
cake for total solids capture. Batch identification, when required, is easily
achieved by carrying out semi-continuous operation. Full validation procedures
to meet all FDA final product requirements are proven and available. When
operating with solvent, the filters meet all the requirements of ATEX 95
category 2. 

Larox has the ability to build the Pannevis GT filter up to 4 m wide and 84 m2
filtration area, so it is expected even larger units will be delivered in the
future. 

About Larox Group
Larox Group is a leading innovator of solid/liquid separation solutions for the
world's process industries. Companies in mining and metallurgy, chemical
processing and related industries benefit from Larox's high-performance,
high-efficiency process solutions, technologies and products. 
Larox serves its global client base through its extensive network of sales and
service offices, and representatives worldwide. Larox is headquartered in
Lappeenranta, Finland. 

For more information please contact:

Larox Corporation
P.O. Box 29
53101, Lappeenranta, Finland
Phone +358 5 668 811
Fax +358 5 668 8277
E-mail info@larox.com
Internet www.larox.com

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